The Testing Methodology: How I Tested the Best Video Converters

To find the true champions of video conversion, I didn't just read spec sheets—I ran a rigorous, real-world gauntlet. Here's a transparent look at my testing process:

🎯 1. The Approach: I tested over 50 video converters to measure real-world speed, output quality, and ease of use. No marketing hype, just hands-on results.

💻 2. Test System: All tests were run on the same system to ensure fair results: Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2400, 16GB of RAM, Windows 10 (64-bit) with non-essential processes disabled

🎬 3. The Tested Videos: Each video converter was tested with 3 distinct video clips to test its versatility:

🏆 4. The Verdict: The complete test results are in my detailed comparison table . The data revealed a clear winner: VideoProc Converter AI. It's excelling in format support (370+), 47x faster real-time speed, original quality preservation, and AI-driven media enhancement features.

Free download and install VideoProc to experience the best in video conversion and AI enhancement!

For mobile users, click here >

What Is a Video Converter and Why You Need It

Simply put, a video converter is software that changes a video file from one format to another. This is essential for ensuring your videos can be played on various devices, media players, and platforms, while also allowing you to optimize file size and quality. Beyond basic format changes, modern converters often include tools for compression, audio conversion, and adjusting technical settings like bitrate or frame rate.

Why is this necessary? Because in the real world, video compatibility is a constant challenge. As users on platforms like Reddit often share:

"Some cameras record in old formats that aren't compatible with new editing software. In my case, the camera I'm using saves files in .mpg so I needed to convert it to .mp4." - @liightless-bird from reddit.com

"I've been finding a lot of videos I want to snag short meme clips from end up being MKV format., but After Effects seems to take issue with MKV when I try to import." - @ideDeezNutz from reddit.com

These examples highlight just a few common frustrations. Based on countless user needs and scenarios, here are the key reasons why you'll likely need a reliable video converter:

22 Best Video Converters List (with Hands-on Review)

1. VideoProc Converter AI - The Overall Best Video Converter

No visible quality loss, 47x faster, more formats, smooth 4K/8K conversion, batch conversion...

Windows, Mac

Free for converting short videos (no watermark)

Up to 47x faster

No visible quality loss (support lossless remuxing)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview: VideoProc Converter AI is the best video converter software for Windows and macOS computers. It can convert any of around 370+ media formats to your choices of 420+ output formats . Namely, you can use it to convert MKV to MP4 , MOV to MP4/MPEG, YouTube to WAV, MP4 to MP3, MP4 to AVI/WMV, H264 to H265, MTS to MP4, and even DVDs to digital in just 1 click.

Thanks to advanced level-3 GPU acceleration and other tech like hyper-threading and AMD "3DNow" tech, VideoProc Converter AI is incredibly fast, converting videos up to 47x faster than real-time by fully leveraging your hardware. It's very low CPU usage means you can easily multitask, like emailing or watching videos, during transcoding.

No worry about quality loss anymore! Using next-gen encoding tech and smart compression methods, this video converter retains 99% original quality while shrinking size by 90%. It intelligently handles compression to ensure your videos look great. It also features Auto Copy, a unique function that lets you quickly change video format containers (remux) without re-encoding or losing any quality .

The best part, it offers a full set of powerful AI features. These include video upscaling to 4K with enhanced details, frame rate conversion (up to 480FPS) for ultra-smooth viewing, and photo restoration and colorization. These AI capabilities make it versatile for both modern and legacy media.

Pros:

Cons:

For mobile users, click here >

VideoProc Converter AI - The Ultimate Solution for All Your Video and Audio Conversion Needs!

How Is It Performance in Practice

VideoProc Converter AI absolutely lived up to its claim of being incredibly fast. Converting my 46-second iPhone HEVC 4K test clip (99.6 MB) to a 1080p H.264 MP4 file took just under 15 seconds on my test system, leveraging its Level-3 GPU acceleration.

Crucially, during this process, I found CPU usage remained remarkably low, hovering around 2-5%, allowing me to easily multitask without slowdowns – a stark contrast to many other converters I tested. While I didn't test the full 47x claim (which depends heavily on hardware and source/target formats), its real-world speed for common tasks was consistently the best among all the video converters I evaluated.

The resulting file was a compact 10.6MB, and I observed no visible quality loss compared to the original. The interface felt responsive and intuitive throughout my testing.

VideoProc Converter AI is rated as the No.1 best video converter by many trusted websites. Check some of them,

Excellent

2. Any Video Converter Free - Best for a Plenty of Audio Special Effects

Windows 11/10 (64-bit); Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) and above

Free trial or $59.95/lifetime for the full version (no watermark)

Noticable quality loss

Overview: Any Video Converter Free is a versatile software that combines a video converter, a video cutter, a video cutter, and a few other quick tools into one package. It can import popular video formats and enables you to choose streaming-friendly and highly compressed codecs such as HEVC and VP9 for output. This enables you to convert your videos for faster streaming on social media and video-sharing platforms. You're allowed to choose the operating system on which you intend to play the video. However, this free video converter provides limited choices in this regard, allowing you to select only Windows, Android, or iOS.

This one of the best video file format converters lets you customize various video properties, including the codec, frame rate, and encoding settings. But you don't have many codec options to choose from. For instance, when converting video files to MOV format, your choices are limited to auto or H264 as the video codec. Popular codecs like PRORES and MPEG4 are not available. It's important to note that Any Video Converter Free is just the trial version, so it comes with certain limitations. For example, it doesn't support downloading or recording videos in HD 1080P resolution, and it restricts you from merging more than five videos into a single file.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Any Video Converter can make use of the GPU to encode full HD videos, which can accelerate the conversion process to up to 8X faster than real-time play. I tested that by converting an 1:40s of HEVC video recorded by iPhone to MP4 H.264, and it took around 40 minutes to complete the conversion, which was fast. However, the quality of the exported video looked bad. I chose 5 (lossless, maximum quality) as the constant quality, but the output looked pixelated and washed out.

3. FFmpeg - Best Free Video Converter for a Wide Range of Supported Video Formats

Windows, Mac, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Debian, FreeBSD, etc.

Free (no watermark)

It depends

It depends

Overview: The fact is the majority of the open source and commercial video converters in the market are taking FFmpeg behind the scenes. Therefore, I'm very satisfied with what this best video format converter can do in terms of conversion capabilities.

It essentially can change video formats of all sorts, the supported input video codecs range from ISO disc images, MP4 (H.261/H.262, MPEG 4 Part 2, etc.), AMD/ATI (ATI VCR1/VCR2) to MOV (Cinepak, ProRes, QuickTime Animation, QuickTime Graphics, etc.), Avid, ASV… However, just because it is capable of doing everything doesn't mean everyone can benefit from this powerful video converter.

FFmpeg is the best free video converter software for advanced users or engineers who know a command-line environment. It doesn't come with a GUI. So you can't convert videos with simple clicks as you're doing with VideoProc Converter AI or other paid or free video converters.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Testing FFmpeg's performance is tricky because it entirely depends on the commands I use and my system's hardware. There's no simple "drag and drop and hit convert" here. For example, when I converted my 46-second iPhone HEVC 4K test clip to 1080p H.264 using a standard ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -c:a copy output.mp4 command, it took around 30 seconds on my test system, with moderate CPU usage (around 40-60%).

I found the quality was good, comparable to HandBrake at similar settings. However, achieving optimal speed and quality with this open source video converter requires deep knowledge of codecs, parameters, and command syntax – it's a tool where the user's expertise heavily influences the outcome.

4. Movavi Video Converter - Best for Beginners Looking for a Simple Video Converter

Microsoft Windows 7/8/10; Mac OS X Yosemite (version 10.10)

Free trial; $54.95/year; $69.95/lifetime for the full version. Watermark present in the free version

Overview: Movavi Video Converter is a user-friendly video converter that allows you to convert your videos quickly and easily. It supports a wide range of input and output formats, including popular ones like MP4, AVI, and MKV. The software also has pre-configured conversion settings for specific devices like smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

One unique feature of Movavi Video Converter is its SuperSpeed mode, which utilizes advanced technology to convert videos at a lightning-fast speed. The only downside to this feature is that it's only available for converting to the same codec and resolution as the original file. Additionally, the software also has a batch conversion feature that lets you convert multiple videos simultaneously.

Movavi Video Converter also includes a built-in editor where you can trim and crop videos, adjust color, add filters, or apply watermarks and subtitles. You can also use AI Upscaling to enhance the quality of your videos by increasing their resolution.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

During my testing, it proved to be a fast and efficient video converter. It took about 10 seconds to convert a 1-minute video from MP4 to MKV. However, the upscaling process was too long and didn't produce as significant of a change in quality as I had hoped. Overall, this is a great choice for beginners and those looking for a simple video converter with a bonus editing feature.

5. Freemake Video Converter - Best Video Converter for Windows 10 for Paid Beginners

Windows 10 and earlier

$54.95/year (has watermark)

Noticable quality loss

Overview: Freemake Video Converter is the best video converter for Windows 10. It has a well-optimized interface that makes all necessary conversion features visible to its users. With this free video converter for PC, you can copy DVD to MP4 , turn videos from 40+ different codecs to another format to let it go compatible with iPod, iPad, Nokia, BlackBerry, Xbox, Sony, etc. And the whole process can be extremely easy to make with the ready-made device presets.

Though I rate it as one of the best video converters for Windows, there are a few things with Freemake Video Converter that I don't like. Firstly, it doesn't support 4K UHD videos which are now everywhere. If you intend to convert a 4K video to another format via this Windows video converter, then you have to trade-off with big sacrifice in resolutions as the largest video it can export is 2160P x 2160P.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

In my experience testing Freemake, I encountered significant stability issues. When attempting to convert videos using common lossy codecs like VP8 or MPEG-2, the process frequently stalled between 60% and 90%, often requiring me to force-quit the application.

While this free video converter for Windows could convert some files, I found the process unreliable. For a simple task like converting a 28-second HD ProRes MOV file to 1080p H.264 MP4, it took 12 seconds – comparable to VideoProc Converter AI for this specific, simple task, but this doesn't reflect its overall poor performance and instability with other formats I tested. The UI is visually simple, but the lack of updates means it feels dated and doesn't handle modern video challenges well.

6. Avidemux - Best Free Video Converter for Basic Editing Features

Windows, Mac, Linux

Free (no watermark)

Average

Average (support lossless remuxing)

Overview: Avidemux is an excellent option for beginners or advanced users in need of quickly converting video container formats to MKV, MP4, FLV, MOV, and WebM without changing the stored media streams. It lets users transcode the video and audio into H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, and a few other popular codecs.

Customizing the encoding settings is also allowed. However, exporting the converted video with desired codecs, size, and quality in Avidemux is often an error and trial process for most users. The interface of this free video converter is too out of date and displays many unexplained setting options. Aside from being a good video converter for PC, Mac, Linux, and BSD, Avidemux also serves as a basic video editor and allows you to cut, rotate, crop, denoise, stabilize video files, etc.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

In my testing, Avidemux's conversion speed was average. For example, converting a short 720p MP4 MPEG4 video to MP4 H.264 took me around 8 minutes. While the free video converter for Windows and Mac can perform basic conversions and remuxing quickly, I found its biggest drawback was its high resource consumption.

During the conversion, it often consumed significant CPU and memory resources. The interface felt quite outdated and technical, with many unexplained options that would likely confuse a beginner. I'd recommend Avidemux primarily for users who need a free video converter for basic cutting and remuxing and are comfortable with a less modern, more technical interface, provided they don't need to multitask heavily during conversion.

7. HandBrake - Best Free Video Converter for Cross-platform Users

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (64-bit) or later; Mac OS X Yosemite and later; Recent Ubuntu LTS versions

Free (no watermark)

Up to 3x faster

Average

Overview: One of the best free video converters is HandBrake . This is a professional video conversion software that can output videos from multiple video formats (MP4, MKV, AVI, TS, M2TS) as well as digitize Blu-ray and DVDs to MKV, MP4, and WebM formats. It also provides beginners with presets for quick conversion but still comes with tons of options for advanced users to customize the video bitrate, frame rate, resolution, and other properties.

The support of modern GPU encoding is a big plus as it can accelerate the whole conversion process at a speed of 2x to 3x faster than real-time playback. And the adopted x265 encoding enables HandBrake to generate high-quality videos without taking up large storage space.

HandBrake is a cross-platform and open-source video converter which means you can utilize it on Windows, Mac, and Linux and get access to all incredible features without having to pay a dime.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

HandBrake's speed in my testing varied significantly depending on the encoding preset I chose. Converting my 4K HEVC test clip to 1080p H.264 took over 90 seconds using the 'Fast 1080p 30P' preset, but improved to 36 seconds when I switched to 'Very Fast 1080P'.

While it can be reasonably fast with optimized settings and GPU acceleration enabled, I found it often consumed a high percentage of my CPU resources (often over 90%), making my system sluggish. Attempting to convert my 7.26GB ISO file was problematic; it took a lengthy 2.8 hours to complete, and I experienced failures where it didn't scan all titles correctly on my initial attempts.

The interface, while powerful, felt complex and less intuitive than paid options like VideoProc Converter AI or Movavi, making it better suited for users who are comfortable with technical settings and don't mind a steeper learning curve.

8. VLC - Best Free Video Converter for Batch Conversion

Windows XP SP3 and above, Mac OS X Lion and above, Ubuntu...

Free (no watermark)

Acceptable loss

Overview: Did you know that you might already have one of the best video file converter installed on your computer? And its name is VLC media player. Most of us know this amazing program as a free media player developed by VideoLan that can play a variety of media including some videos that are unrecognizable on other players. But few know VLC is a versatile video converter that can batch convert videos in HEVC, VC-D, VP3/VP5/VP6/VP8, WMV, DVD, MPEG-1/2, and tons of codecs, regardless of the container formats.

Since VLC is mainly a media player software that moonlights as a workable video converter, in comparison with those professional video format converters, VLC has limited output format support and presets. It does not output VP9, ProRes, ProRes 422HQ, ProRes 422, ProRes 422LT, etc. However, professional video converters, such as VideoProc Converter AI , support almost all the said formats. The availability of 10+ options for tweaking the output file parameters perhaps is not for the faint of heart.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

I was pleasantly surprised by VLC's conversion speed in my tests, especially considering it's primarily a media player. Encoding my HEVC iPhone 4K recording to 1080p took me about 40 seconds , and I observed a reasonable 60% CPU usage and 300MB of memory usage – much better than some dedicated converters. I found it handled various common conversions like AVI to MP4 and MKV to WebM quickly.

What I want to complain about is, this free video editor often stopped the process automatically and gave us an unknown file with 0 bytes of content when I applied it to convert DVD files.

9. MPEG Streamclip - Best Free Video Converter for Converting Phased-out Codecs

Windows XP, Vista, 7 (may also work in Windows 2000 and in Linux with WINE)

Free (no watermark)

Noticable loss

Quite slow

Overview: MPEG Streamclip is one of the oldest video converters which you can tell from its 80-s style of interface, few output options, and limited editing capabilities. It can rip and convert DVDs. The most used formats, such as MOV and MP4 are supported by this free video file converter. However, to speak of the output format, QuickTime MOV, DV, AV1/DivX, and MPEG-4 videos are the only options that you can choose. In addition, you cannot convert your videos to HEVC, AV1, VP8, or other high compression codecs.

Another downside of this free video converter for PC and Mac is it only exports your video in a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio. Users who want to convert video for posting on social media like Facebook and Instagram are advised to choose another video converter software as these platforms favor the 1:1 square videos.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

In my testing, MPEG Streamclip felt like a relic of the past. It simply wouldn't read modern, prevalent codecs like HEVC or VP8. When I tested it with older formats, like converting a 40-second H.264 1080p clip to MPEG-4 MOV, this free video converter took a painfully slow 18 minutes . This is significantly slower than almost any other converter I tested, including other free options.

The interface feels extremely dated, and I found the lack of options and inability to preview edits frustrating. Given that it's discontinued and requires installing QuickTime, I would only consider using it if I absolutely needed to convert a very specific, phased-out legacy codec that no other modern software could handle.

10. Shutter Encoder - Best Free Video Converter for Plenty of Editing Options

Windows, Mac, Linux, and more

Free (no watermark)

Overview: If you are looking for the best file converter software with useful video editing capabilities, then you'd love Shutter Encoder . It is chock full of integrated features, allowing you to convert video codecs from one to another, burn subtitles to your videos, trim/crop footage, download web videos/music, record your screens, and more.

Shutter Encoder packs all necessary conversion options that can satisfy a seasoned user's demand. Thanks to the well-categorized codec list and the simplified interface, it doesn't require newbies much effort to utilize the full potential of Shutter Encoder to convert videos for editing, broadcasting, or other purposes.

Many paid video converters support only Windows and Mac. Open-source video converter freeware are very compatible but usually come with a bit of out-of-date features and UI design. This made the cross-platform Shutter Encoder a perfect option for Linux and Ubuntu users.

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Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

The GPU-acceleration feature only works while decoding . Therefore, this free HD video converter falls behind the level-3 GPU accelerated VideoProc Converter AI in terms of conversion speed and overall performance. I also encountered reports (and some instability myself) when trying to push GPU acceleration settings.

Despite some features being a bit buried in menus, I think it's one of the best free video converter software for users who need a wide range of format support (including professional codecs like ProRes and DNxHD) and editing tools without paying, especially if you're on Linux or need more options than HandBrake provides.

11. Xmedia Recode - Best Free Video Converter on PC for Relatively Low Memory Usage

Windows

Free (no watermark)

Noticable loss (support lossless remuxing)

Overview: Xmedia Recode , which comes with 16.6MB of installer file, is absolutely a lightweight video converter. The supporting list of input and output video codecs of this best video conversion software is totally the same as HandBrake. But, it is widely regarded as the "HandBrake +" solution on Windows. Why? This compact and free video converter software can export 30+ video and audio formats including AVI, OGG, MOV, and many other files that are not supported by HandBrake.

It comes with many options that allow you to fine-tune video and audio encoder parameters. The built-in bitrate calculator helps you to avoid the whopping large output that is frequently seen when using HandBrake. In addition, this free video file converter has more useful presets for TVs and smartphones (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, etc.) than HandBrake does.

Pros:

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How Is It Performance in Practice

Xmedia Recode and Handbrake are using the same encoder and decoder. Both are good showcases of the fast and best video converter for Windows 10/11, Mac, and Linux, but the exact conversion speed is largely determined by your settings.

To convert the test DVD disk to MPEG-2 MP4, this free video converter for Windows took over an hour. I did notice it could consume a significant amount of memory in certain conversions; for example, converting my HEVC test clip to VP8 took up to 2500MB of memory, which is quite high.

12. Vidcoder - Best Free Video Converter on PC for Ripping Home DVDs

Windows 10/11 (64-bit versions)

Free (no watermark)

Quite slow

Acceptable quality loss

Overview: Vidcoder is a free and open-source DVD and Blu-ray ripper as well as a good video converter that works on Windows. Taking HandBrake as the encoding engine, Vidcoder has similar features to HandBrake. They boast the same supported videos codecs/formats list, output presets, parameter setting options, as well as the capability to convert videos from/to DVD discs.

What Vidcoder superiors to HandBrake is it's easier to learn. However, new hands may still feel overwhelmed by a large number of video codecs jargon shown up on this multiple video converter.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Vidcoder, built on the HandBrake engine, felt slightly easier to navigate than HandBrake itself, but I still found the sheer amount of technical jargon overwhelming. In my speed tests, it was quite slow; converting my 43-second 4K iPhone recording using the 'Very Fast 1080P' preset took me over 2 minutes. During this, I observed high resource usage, hitting 70% CPU and 1600MB of memory.

My attempt to convert the 7.26GB ISO file was unsuccessful; it spiked disk usage to 99% and produced a 0-byte file, which was disappointing compared to converters that handled the ISO smoothly. It might be a decent option for Windows users focused on ripping home DVDs/Blu-rays who want something a bit simpler than HandBrake, but I found its performance and reliability inconsistent in my testing.

13. Winxvideo AI - Best Video Converter for PC for Paid Beginners

Windows

$39.95/year (no watermark)

Above the average

Overview: Winxvideo AI (formerly known as WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe) is a powerful and user-friendly video conversion software developed by Digiarty. With its GPU acceleration technology, it can efficiently transcode a wide range of video formats, including high-resolution 60FPS/120FPS 4K UHD videos and Facebook videos, into more compatible or highly compressed formats.

One of the key strengths of this top-rated video converter is its simplicity and ease of use. It boasts a clean and intuitive layout, making it accessible even for users with limited technical expertise. It does have a notable limitation: it cannot read DVD, CD, or Blu-ray discs directly. However, the software compensates for this shortcoming by offering basic editing utilities, allowing users to trim, crop, and apply simple effects to their videos, although more advanced editing capabilities may be desired by some users.

Pros:

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How Is It Performance in Practice

It's a fast video converter. I spent around 30 seconds converting the 4K footage captured by iPhone to VP8 WebM while keeping the same resolution and picture crispy. Thus, if you are in search of the fastest video converter, it can be your go-to option.

14. FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate - A Handy Video Converter with Editing Features

Windows, Mac OS X Sierra or above

Free trial or $48.97/lifetime (no watermark)

A little bit slow

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview: FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate is a professional conversion tool that can handle various video or audio format conversions. No matter if it is a popular MP4 format file or an unusual format with a complex codec, this simple video converter always delivers a suitable and pleasant result.

To ease your burden of selecting the right format for output, FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate presets with a complete list of device profiles so that you can effortlessly convert video for easy playback. For advanced users, this free video converter also features useful customization options to tweak video parameters.

More than a video converter tool, the software is integrated with other versatile features including the DVD ripping function, video compressor, and some amazing editing features. The built-in MV maker and video collage help add creativity to your source video. Other viable functions such as video compressor, GIF maker, watermark maker, and remover are all included in its powerful toolbox section.

Basically, it is a multi-functional software program that everyone can leverage the benefit from it.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate offers a very easy-to-navigate program interface, which I appreciated. It integrates a lot of features beyond just conversion, like DVD ripping, compression, and basic editing tools, making it a handy all-in-one package. In my tests, the conversion speed was a little bit slow compared to the fastest options like VideoProc Converter AI or Winxvideo AI.

While it produced good quality results, the free trial's 5-minute conversion limit is quite restrictive for testing larger files. I found it to be a solid, user-friendly option for standard video and DVD conversion with bonus tools, best suited for users who value ease of use and integrated features and are willing to purchase the full version.

15. Prism Video Converter - Best Paid Video Converter for Less-robust PC

Windows, Mac OS X Leopard and above

$29.99/lifetime (no watermark)

Average

Overview: Unlike Prism Video Converter , offered by NCH software that allows you to edit videos without paying, Prism Video Converter is a paid video converter developed by NCH that lets it's user convert videos for personal use. It runs on all recent Mac and Windows (64 bit). With it, you can easily convert AVCHD to MP4 , as well as AVI, MOV, VOB, ASF, and tons of other formats such as regardless of the contained codecs.

Prism Video Converter also enables you to rip DVD and Blu-ray discs, and it even allows you to choose the preferred language for the digital copy. It doesn't prepare many presets for TVs but offers rich options for iPhone, iPad, and game consoles (Xbox, PS3, PS4, PSP, Nintendo 3DS, and many more). Thus, it's definitely one of the best free video converter software for beginners. However, we'd have to admit, it still has many limitations in terms of the adjustments on video properties. For example, it doesn't allow you to set up a specific video bitrate , audio sample rate, and the resolution you can convert to is constrained to 2K.

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How Is It Performance in Practice

Prism Video Converter, developed by NCH, impressed me with its low resource usage during testing. Whether I was converting my high-compressed HEVC 4K video to 720p MPEG-2 or transcoding my large ISO video file to H.264 MPEG, I found the CPU usage rate didn't surpass 32%, and the memory usage didn't go larger than 300MB. This makes it a good option for less-robust PCs.

However, its conversion speed was quite slow for me, averaging about 7 times longer than VideoProc Converter AI needed to convert the same video with nearly the same target settings. I also found it lacked flexibility in settings – I couldn't set a specific bitrate or audio sample rate, and output resolution was limited to 2K . The interface felt a bit clunky, and I was concerned it might add black bars due to limited aspect ratio support. It has many editing options, but I'd recommend it primarily for users on older or slower machines who need basic conversion and editing and don't require precise control or 4K output.

16. Icecream Video Converter - A Lightweight Video Converter with Batch Mode

Windows

Free trial or $29.95/year (no watermark after purchase)

Noticable quality loss

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview: If you're looking for a basic and easy-to-use video converter for your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, Icecream Video Converter from Icecream Apps might be just what you need. This lightweight video converter boasts a user-friendly interface that makes converting video files a breeze, even if you're not particularly tech-savvy. To get started, all you have to do is drag and drop your video file into the app window. It supports batch conversion and offers presets for a few output formats. However, it lacks the flexibility to customize important settings such as codec, bitrate, and frame rate, which significantly impact output quality, file size, and compatibility with various devices and platforms.

Although it provides presets for popular devices like iPhone, Samsung, and PlayStation, the supported modules are not up to date, with the iPhone preset only supporting models 10 to 14, though the latest model being iPhone 16. Despite these limitations, this video converter comes with additional features like video trimming, SRT subtitle integration, watermarking, and resolution adjustments, enhancing its utility beyond mere format conversion.

Pros:

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How Is It Performance in Practice

Icecream Video Converter has a very user-friendly interface that I found incredibly easy for beginners – just drag, drop, pick a format, and convert. It's also lightweight. However, in my testing, its conversion speed was frustratingly slow. Converting a 60-second 2K MKV file to MP4 (even with 'keep original' settings) took me over 5 minutes, which is 4 times longer than the video's duration.

A major drawback I found was that the free version adds an unwanted watermark to the output, requiring a purchase to remove it. This lightweight video converter also lacks crucial customization options like codec, bitrate, and frame rate control, and offers limited output formats. I'd only recommend this for absolute beginners converting very small, short videos on Windows who prioritize simplicity above all else and are aware of the watermark and speed limitations.

17. AVS Free Video Converter - Best Video Converter for Many Customizable Encoding Options

Windows

Free trial or $49/year (no watermark)

Extremely slow

Horrible quality loss

Overview: Setting aside the limited range of formats supported by this freemium video converter (excluding Theora, YUVs, and certain less popular formats, as well as the absence of advanced codecs like HEVC and VP9 for export), AVS Free Video Converter is one of the most powerful video converters, packing everything you need to convert video format from one to another. It supports batch conversion and output profiles for MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, and many other popular formats. For example, when converting to MP4, users can select pre-defined profiles like MP4 - HD - (H.264 Main, 1280x720, 30fps) or MP4 - 4K UHD - (H.264 Main, 3840x2160, 30fps). Advanced users will appreciate the ability to customize encoding options beyond what most converters allow, adjusting bitrate levels, bitrate variability, quantization limits, and more. However, this wealth of advanced settings may overwhelm beginners looking for a straightforward conversion process.

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Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Based on my testing, AVS Free Video Converter was the slowest converter I evaluated, and the output quality was frankly horrible. Converting a 20-second 4K H.264 MOV file to 4K VP8 WebM took me over 3 minutes, which I found quite sluggish. To make matters worse, the resulting video appeared pixelated and of very low quality.

While it offers an extensive array of highly customizable encoding options (more than most converters) and can rip DVDs, I found the interface outdated, cluttered, and difficult to navigate. The sheer number of technical settings would likely overwhelm beginners. Given the extremely slow speed and poor quality I experienced, I cannot recommend this converter for most modern video tasks, despite its advanced settings.

18. MacX Video Converter Pro - Best Video Converter on Mac for Fast Speed

macOS High Sierra and later

$39.95/lifetime (No watermark)

Top-notch

Overview: MacX Video Converter Pro is the go-to toolkit for a lot of macOS users to convert and download videos. It is well accepted for being professional in dealing with hundreds of media formats and for amazing fast speed with hardware acceleration support. With this safe video converter for Mac, you can remux or re-encode video files to solve codec format incompatible issues whether you run into the problem during video playback or when importing video for post-production, in iMovie for example.

With the built-in online video downloader and the compression engine, MacX Video Converter Pro makes it possible to convert online videos for watching later and shrink the size of HD or UHD videos. However, it might not be the best video converter for you. It won't convert DVD videos or any type of audio files. The integrated editing toolset needs some improvements as it doesn't enable you to apply subtitles, special effects, or any other edits.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

MacX Video Converter Pro is a very fast video converter software. I tested it with many videos recorded by iPhone and DJI drones, it averagely can fulfill the conversion at a speed 5x faster than the real-time playback, and all the exported files are of nice quality.

19. FFworks - Best Video Converter on Mac for Social Media Videos

Mac OS X Yosemite up to Sonoma

$23.42/lifetime (No watermark)

Relatively fast

Acceptable quality loss

Overview: Geared toward Mac users, the FFworks is an easy-to-use and cheap (which costs $24) video converter software that supports 4K HEVC, H.264 , AV1, and other 20+ common media formats. More than 300 advanced options are given by FFworks which allow users to have full control over the output video properties. Newbies? No worry, FFworks provides you with dozens of presets for generating videos that can play smoothly on different brands and modes of smartphones, TVs, Game Consoles as well as various social media.

In its recent version, FFworks video converter optimizes the feature of GPU accelerated encoding with Video Toolbox which decreases some extent of reliance on CPU resources while the conversion. Better yet, the support of chapter edits allows you to add chapter information for MP4, MOV, and MKV videos with great ease. Thus, it should come as no surprise that FFworks has made my list of the best video converter software.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

FFworks is a well-priced video converter ($23.42 lifetime) geared towards Mac users, offering a good balance of features. In my testing, its conversion speed was relatively fast – converting the 27.2MB 1080p MP4 file (40 seconds) to a 33MB 720p AVI video took me 3 minutes.

While not as blazing fast as VideoProc Converter AI or MacX Video Converter Pro, it was faster than many free options I tested. It supports a good range of modern codecs like HEVC and AV1 and offers over 300 advanced options, which I found could be overwhelming, though the dozens of presets helped simplify things. I appreciated the rich editing features like filters, watermarks, and subtitle support. It's a solid, affordable option for Mac users who want more control and editing capabilities than basic converters, especially for social media videos, but it doesn't handle DVDs or Blu-rays.

20. Adobe Media Encoder - Best Paid Video Converter for Adobe Subscribers

Windows 10 (64-bit) V20H2 or later; Mac OS X Monterey or later

$52.99/month (no watermark)

Overview: Adobe Media Encoder is a top-notch paid video converter. It's capable of converting almost all the existing video codecs, so there is no worry about codec things when applying this serious video converter to transcode or remux video files. Besides, it enables the dynamic link with Adobe series products. This brings much convenience for video editing experts who need to polish a large number of videos that come in different codecs.

People who have worked with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, or other tools from the big Adobe family should have no problem mastering Adobe Media Encoder. However, it's very possibly a long process with trial and error to learn all its bells and whistles for beginners. They have to dive headfirst into obscure codec terminologies before successfully converting the first video clip. Adobe Media Encoder is not for an armature. It acquires large memory and CPU for the entire decoding and encoding process. Thus, if you don't have a well-built machine, this daunting video converter can leave your other processes paralyzed.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

In the output-format setting tab of Adobe Media Encoder, you're going to see a great number of lossless format options. This makes Adobe Media Encoder the best video converter software for people whose target is getting some lossless video files.

The conversion speed of Adobe Media Encoder is overall slow . For instance, it took 4 minutes and 24 seconds to transcode the iPhone 4K clip to 1080P video using the Facebook 1080P HD preset.

To avoid unfairly tying the hands of this heavy video converter, I tested over 20 times with different clips with different settings on target bitrate and codecs. However, I got a similar slow conversion process. Besides, on average, it set up the CPU usage to 95% and took a large memory space of about 2800MB .

Best Free Video Converter Online Services

21. Freeconvert - Best Online Video Converter for Small Video Files

$25.99/month (no watermark)

1GB for a free account

Noticable quality loss

It depends

Overview: Most web-based video converters constrain you to convert videos to MP4 formats. In Freeconvert , you can choose the format for the exported video from 8 different options. Not sure which video format you need to get? It prepares a few devices presets for iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Xbox, etc. To speak of the size limit, Freeconvert is far more generous than its competitors are. The max file size for a free account is up to 1GB.

As an online video converter app, after all, it's far away from being perfect. The high reliance on your network environment, the lack of options to make precise settings of your conversion, and the absence of support to convert DVD discs are all big issues.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Freeconvert might disappoint those who need a fast online HD video converter.

As said, the conversion speed of online video converters were heavily influenced by the network condition. Thus, both Freeconvert and Zamzar (which I am going to introduce later) are the underdogs on my list. It took over 23 minutes for Freeconvert to import a 40-second MP4 file, convert it to MOV format, and save the resulting file. With Zamzar, the whole process took 36 minutes.

22. Zamzar - Best Online Free Video Converter for Casual Users

$70/year (no watermark)

50MB for a free account

Noticable quality loss

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview: Zamzar is a popular file conversion solution, with a free video and audio converter as part of the package. Its free plan lets you convert video files under 50MBs to popular formats like MP4, 3GP, AVI, MOV, and MKV. If you need to convert a large file (but not exceed 2GBs), then you need to purchase the paid account which cost $70/month. Zamar only allows you to assign the target video container format, for example, you can convert MP4 to MOV, but you cannot decide the codec used for encoding MOV, be it HEVC, VP9, ProRes, or others. And from my test, it only supports converting MP4 to MOV MPEG-4.

Pros:

Cons:

How Is It Performance in Practice

Zamzar is another online converter that I found incredibly simple to use – perhaps the easiest on the list. However, its free service is severely limited by a 50MB upload cap, which is tiny for most video files. In my test converting a 40-second MP4 file to MOV, the entire process took me a staggering 36 minutes, making it the slowest tool I tested, likely due to upload/download times and processing queues.

I found it offered almost no control over conversion settings (codec, bitrate, etc.) and lacked any editing tools. Based on my testing, I would only recommend Zamzar for users who need to convert very small files occasionally and want the absolute simplest interface, accepting the significant limitations and slow speed.

Quick Comparison of the Best Video Converters

Take a look at the quick comparison chart below for a snapshot of the key features of each video converter, including supported formats, maximum output resolution, and my testing results on picture quality, speed, and more. This will give you a brief overview of their capabilities. To explore each tool in more detail, simply click on the name of the video converter to read the full review. I've provided in-depth analyses to help you make a well-informed decision.

VideoProc Converter AI

370+/420+

4K/8K/10K+

No visible loss

Blazing fast
(47x faster)

by One Hour Professor

Any Video Converter Free

47+/27+

Up to 1080P

Noticable

by CNET

FFmpeg

200+/200+

It depends

Average

by
G2

Movavi Video Converter

45+/30+

Minor

by PCMag

Freemake Video Converter

15+/15+

Noticable

by G2

Avidemux

20+/20+

Acceptable

Average

by MacUpdate

HandBrake

20+/10+

Minor

by TechRadar

370+/10+

Acceptable

by TrustPilot

MPEG Streamclip

25+/10+ (old formats only)

Up to 1080P

Noticable

by CNET

Shutter Encoder

200+/100+

Minor

by AlternativeTo

Xmedia Recode

20+/10+

Up to 10K

Noticable

by CNET

Vidcoder

20+/10+

Up to 1080P

Acceptable

by Uptodown

Winxvideo AI

370+/420+

Minor

Above Avg

by
G2

FonePaw

120+/100+

Up to 4K

by Sitejabber

Prism Video Converter

150+/120+

Up to 4K

Acceptable

by CNET

Icecream Video Converter

20+/20+

Up to 4K

Noticable

by Capterra

AVS Free Video Converter

20+/20+

Up to 1080P

Horrible

Extremely slow

by TopTen Reviews

MacX Video Converter Pro

370+/420+

by MacUpdate

FFworks

30+/30+

Acceptable

by MacUpdate

Adobe Media Encoder

50+/10+

Minor

by
G2

Freeconvert

60+/10+

Up to 10K

Noticable

by Trustpilot

Zamzar

20+/10+

Up to 4K

Noticable

by Trustpilot

How to Choose the Best Video Converter for You

Choosing the right video converter depends heavily on your specific needs and priorities. Drawing from my rigorous testing and comparison of numerous tools, I've identified the key criteria that truly matter. Below, I'll walk you through these crucial factors – from supported formats to speed and quality – and highlight which video converters excel in each area, helping you select the best option for your workflow.

1. Supported Formats

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are VideoProc Converter AI , FFmpeg , Shutter Encoder , and Prsim Video Converter .

Many of you want a video converter with the aim to overcome the device compatibility issues for freely playing any videos on smartphones, music players, computers, TVs, game consoles, DVD players, etc. Therefore, the best video converters should have the capability to read and write plenty of different formats.

2. Picture Quality

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are VideoProc Converter AI , Adobe Media Encoder and FFmpeg .

Though quality always rolls downhill every time you make the video conversion, an excellent video converter can retain most of the data from the original files. In this way, the slight loss in video quality happened while the video conversion process won't be noticed by human eyes.

3. Conversion Speed

Taking this criterion, the best video converter is VideoProc Converter AI .

I see too many people complain about the video converter they use to convert Blu-ray discs and TV series responses ridiculously slow. That's true. Most paid and free downloadable video converters in the market take several hours to successfully convert minutes of video. Luckily, you don't have to tolerate that sort of plain trashes anymore as I have excluded those terribly slow video converters for you.

4. GPU Acceleration

Taking this criterion, the best video converter is VideoProc Converter AI .

We want to avoid high CPU usage, ideally keeping it below 80%. GPU-accelerated video converters can significantly speed up the conversion process by offloading work from the CPU, leading to faster overall performance.

Currently, 65% of video converter software utilizes GPU acceleration for encoding only, while 24% leverage it for both encoding and decoding. VideoProc Converter AI stands out as the only converter that fully utilizes hardware acceleration across encoding, decoding, and UHD video processing, maximizing performance.

For mobile users, click here >

5. Low Investment

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe and VideoProc Converter AI .

Generally speaking, there are 3 factors you should consider: the cost of the video converter software, the supplement investments in hardware, and the associated costs of the learning courses.

That is to say, the best video converter software itself should be free or low-cost. It doesn't require too much computer resource as well. Thus you don't need to update your PC built for running it smoothly. The sleek and straightforward layout is also necessary for you to easily apply it without having to follow any expensive training courses.

FAQs about Best Video Converter

1. What is the best video converter?

I have compiled a list of the 22 best video converters, and VideoProc Converter AI stands out as the top choice. However, it is crucial to remember that the ideal video converter for you ultimately hinges on your unique requirements. While cost-effectiveness holds universal importance, there are several other pivotal factors to consider, including:

Supported Formats: Having a diverse selection of format options is undoubtedly advantageous. It's crucial to ensure that the chosen video converter aligns with the formats you work with. For example, if you want to convert video files to MOV format, video converters like HandBrake, which don't support MOV output, won't work for you.

Picture Quality: Choose the one that prioritizes maintaining picture quality. Take VideoProc Converter AI, for instance, which utilizes a high-quality engine, supports 2-pass encoding, and adopts the high-entropy encoding technique. These features are specifically designed to ensure the maximum preservation of the original video quality.

Conversion Speed: None of us want to waste hours converting video files, right? So, go for a video converter that's got lightning-fast conversion speed! It'll save you tons of time, especially if you're dealing with big video files or a bunch of 4K/8K stuff.

Features: When choosing a video converter, most of us want more than converting the video formats. An all-in-one solution is preferred, with features like basic editing, subtitle addition, and online video downloads.

Ease of Use: We all like an effective converting experience. But don't get me wrong. Opting for the simplest video converter isn't always the best choice, as many online converters are extremely easy to use but lack advanced features. The ideal choice would be a converter with a learning curve that aligns well with its feature set.

By carefully considering these factors, you will be empowered to make an informed decision regarding the video converter that aligns best with your specific requirements and preferences.

2. Which is the best free video converter?

I've mentioned a few free video converter software like HandBrake, Shutter Encoder, FFmpeg, Freemake Video Converter, and VLC media player. While these may work for some users, they often come with a few common drawbacks. Let's dive into some of the reasons why it's hard to find the best free video converter.

Steep Learning Curve: Almost all completely free video converters are open-source programs, which means they're designed with developers in mind rather than the average user. They might require some effort and possibly training on your part before you can fully grasp how to use them.

Watermarks: Free video converters, like Freemake Video Converter, often slap a watermark on the converted videos. This serves as an incentive for users to upgrade to the premium version and remove the watermark.

Length/Size Limitations: Let's take free online video converters as an example. Many of them impose restrictions on the size of the videos you can convert, typically around 500MB or 2GB. To bypass these limitations, you'll have to purchase the premium plan.

Lack of Features: While a few free video converters offer a decent range of features, many fall short when it comes to important aspects like options for editing or choosing specific output formats. If you're looking for extra video editing capabilities or specific formats, the free options might not meet your needs.

As you can see, finding the best free video converter can be quite a challenge due to these factors. It often means making compromises between limitations and functionality.

Cecilia Hwung

Cecilia Hwung is the editor-in-chief of Digiarty VideoProc. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in delivering insightful content on AI trends, video/audio editing, conversion, troubleshooting, and software reviews. Her expertise makes her a trusted ally in enhancing users' digital experiences.

Digiarty Software, established in 2006, pioneers multimedia innovation with AI-powered and GPU-accelerated solutions. With the mission to "Art Up Your Digital Life", Digiarty provides AI video/image enhancement, editing, conversion, and more solutions. VideoProc under Digiarty has attracted 4.6 million users from 180+ countries.

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